


A Time To Come

by JaciSerigala



Series: JelRay Drabbles [4]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, Crying, Established Relationship, Exhaustion, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-25 04:31:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16654312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaciSerigala/pseuds/JaciSerigala
Summary: Gray was a silenced soul. And he dreamed silently too.





	A Time To Come

It was a rare occasion that they were able to sleep in the same bed, and when they did, it was still a tall order for them both to sleep, as their time together was so precious that neither wanted to waste a chance to look into the eyes of their lover.

But tonight was one of those nights, Jellal was aching, and Gray was exhausted. So stumbling into their bedroom, the elder's arm slinged around the younger's shoulders, guiding them both to the thin sheets and aging mattress, Gray was out before his head met the pillow. Smiling in a way that only Gray had properly seen, he tucked the raven into bed and brushed some hairs out of his face, so that he could see the beauty that was Gray Fullbuster completely unmasked.

Following the raven in suit, he climbed into bed, as well and their hands instinctively found each other. The sleeping man tightened his grip in his sleep, holding on with the need of a child, that made Jellal tug him closer, until he was breathing in the Gray's exhales.

Letting his eyes slipped closed, it really couldn't be understated how powerful of an effect that the ice mage had on him, as Jellal struggled to sleep so easily, and he never could, this close to someone. Yet, Gray seemed to find a way to side step every hesitation and anxiety that the elder could come up with, he had found his way behind the walls, and he had made it clear that he wouldn't be leaving any time soon. And Jellal didn't want him to either.

He couldn't have been asleep for more than an hour, when he was roused again to a sharp pain in the hand that was interlinked with Gray's. Opening his heavy eyes, he looked around and drearily waited for his eyes to adjust to the 11pm darkness. Shifting his gaze to where the raven was sleeping, he sighed as he saw how Gray was evidently suffering from a nightmare. His breathing was ever so slightly faster than normal, he was digging his nails into Jellal's hand, and something about his face shuddered against whatever image his mind had conjured up.

It was no longer surprising to witness Gray having nightmares, between them, they had bad dreams almost every night, and it was only one more reason as to why they so rarely slept when they got a chance to be together. But regardless of the frequency, it still saddened the heavenly body mage, because this was just another reminder that there was some pain that he couldn't take away for Gray, no matter how much he wished for it.

Gray was a silenced soul. He laughed quietly. He smiled so rarely that when it came no one could tell whether they could believe it or not. He cried silently, not wanting to draw any attention to himself, no matter how much he needed the support. And he dreamed silently, too.

There was so much that weighed the younger down, that it was hard to tell what bothered him more, day in and day out, but as Gray shifted as if to pull away in fear, Jellal sighed again in sympathy for his other half.

Curling both of his hands around Gray's, he breathed warm air into the smaller fingers, keeping his eyes locked on the ice mage to look out for changes in whatever was tormenting him. The raven flinched, but stopped moving, his brows creasing into an expression of despair, as he tried to roll away once more. Pressing a kiss to each of the colder fingers, he directed all of his attention to the tiny scars and wrinkles and lines in Gray's hands, keeping his ministrations gentle and subtle, just how they both preferred to be.

Gray let out a quiet sniffle, and Jellal looked up, unaware that his gaze had slipped, his heart jumping into his throat as he saw the teary, open eyes of his lover. His face was twisted into something entirely crestfallen, as tears streaked down his face and he looked at Jellal with tired, heavy anguish.

Jellal opened his mouth to speak, only for the raven to cut away any words he may have wanted to say, instead shuffling closer and burying his face in the elder's collarbone, his tears dampening the fabric of his shirt upon contact. Freezing as worry and empathy bled into his heart, it took a moment for Jellal to react, but when Gray let out a laboured breath crossed with a whine, the bluenette finally caught on, as he encircled his arms around the younger. The ice mage shook, but his sobs and whimpers never came louder than a lullaby, though he shrunk into Jellal's arms, emotionally unable to sustain himself for the moment. Determinedly squeezing Gray's hand, the bluenette curled protectively around the raven, doing his best to cover the ice mage from the world, whilst he broke.

"Gray." He whispered, when the younger seemed to calm down but didn't pull away.

"Don't," Gray panted, his breathing harsh, uneven and making his voice pitched in pain, as he stole his hand out of Jellal's grip, in order to fist into the elder's shirt.

"I-I..." Jellal stammered, as he ran a hand through the raven locks, a silent assurance that he would stay.

"Don't... not right now... please..."

"I'm not." The elder whispered, understanding painfully obvious in his voice. "Just... won't you tell me how to help you?"

"I... I don't think you can..." Gray sniffled. "I've been broken for too long. I can't be helped."

Jellal's heart just about broke.

"Then we'll be broken together." He whispered, scrambling for something, anything to help the raven. "You can cry, I can scream, but together I think we'll be able to ignore the pain."

"Is that possible?"

"Maybe not, but you deserve that chance, regardless." Jellal replied, shuffling back and taking Gray's face in his hands, he wiped away some of the tears stains that were smudged over the raven's unbelievably pretty face.

"I-I..."

"It's not okay, yet..." He continued, knowing how they both hated weightless assurances when they knew better. "But, one day it won't hurt as much."

"I want it to get better now..." Gray sighed, glancing away.

"So do I..." The elder agreed. "One day, it will-"

"-Not one day," The raven disagreed, turning back to face Jellal, as his eyes renewed tears. "Now. For now, just... just stay, please..."

"Of course." The bluenette nodded, going to pull Gray in, but the younger resisted, as he bit his lip, as if he was a feather's brush away from breaking again.

"I-I meant forever..."

Jellal stopped breathing.

"Oh..."


End file.
